As far as titles go, Kaccha Limbu is an odd one. It suggests humour, but this is a serious and a profoundly disturbing film. The trailer of Kaccha Limbu reveals that it strongly resembles Natigoti, the highly acclaimed Marathi play by Jaywant Dalvi. Both, the play and the film, adapted here by Chinmay Mandlekar, are based on Dalvi’s novel Runanubandh. The story centres on the tragic life of the Katdare family, whose members are disconnected from each other and society.

The film is set in Mumbai of the ’80s, during the period when Mumbai’s original residents were pushed to the outer suburbs; a time without cable TV, computers, and cellphones — a much simpler life, unimaginable to the present generation. Mr Katdare (Jadhav) works the nightshift in the telegraph office and spends the daytime hours as a freelance typist. Mrs Katdare works a 9 to 5 job and returns home just in time to see her husband leave for work. The sole purpose of their hard life is to set up a trust fund for their only son, Bacchu (Pem), who is intellectually disabled and also very big-built and difficult to care for. The family receives help for managing their difficult situation from Mr Pandit (Khedekar), Mrs Katdare’s boss, who is a pleasant man with unclear motives.

The film, a ruthless portrayal of Katdare family’s harsh life, makes us wince on more than one occasion. Although the film is dark, it is not weepy — the strong characterisation ensures that it does not turn into that. The film’s characters look upon their lives as a struggle, and though dealt with a weak hand, they show no signs of giving up.

Brilliantly shot in black & white by Amalendu Choudhary, the colour tone perfectly suits the grey shades of the film’s storyline. It also underlines the darker realities of the characters. The selective use of colour represents their forgotten hopes and dreams.

The noted filmmaker, Ravi Jadhav, plays the lead role, of Mr Katdare — an unusual choice considering that he has not professionally acted before this, and he essays the role that was brilliantly played onstage by the senior actor, Dilip Prabhavalkar. Using a firsttimer for the role was a calculated risk taken by director Prasad Oak, himself a renowned actor, directing for the first time. The gamble has paid off. Even when Jadhav is weak in dialogue delivery, affecting some key moments in the film, his overall presence is very convincing and notable. Sonali Kulkarni, who has been doing some mediocre films lately, is back in form here, and she is the strongest member of a very good cast. Manmeet Pem’s role as Bacchu is expectedly dramatic and not easy, but he performs it well. The character of Pandit was, personally speaking, never convincing, and although Sachin Khedekar plays it as well as it can be played, there is a false ring to it. It is not the actor’s fault; the character is such.

Kaccha Limbu ends on a positive note, slightly different from the play, but this is the right approach. To an extent, reflects the change in societal attitudes towards mental disabilities, which has only recently taken place. At the same time, it uplifts the viewer and offers the right context for the dark film.

♦ You can write to Ganesh Matkari at punemirror.feedback@gmail.com or TWEET @ThePuneMirror

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